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China’s Palantir? Private tech firms surge into defence AI, aiming to match US giants
Some mainland companies’ tech proficiency may be closing gaps with American counterparts, but challenges remain, analysts say
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Amber Wangin BeijingPublished: 6:00am, 6 Aug 2026The People’s Liberation Army is just a year away from its centenary goals in its evolution into a “world-class” fighting force. In this part of a series, Amber Wang looks at the growing influence of artificial intelligence in combat and the private firms stepping into the area.Roughly two months before the United States launched air strikes on Iran, a little-known Chinese technology company was watching an unusual pattern emerge on its screens.Drawing on open-source intelligence and artificial intelligence-powered analysis, Hangzhou-based Jingan Technology said it had detected an unusually large concentration of US surveillance assets across the Middle East.
In a post published on its official account on January 6, Jingan suggested the build-up indicated that Washington “may already be in the midst of preparations for a potential military operation” – more than 50 days before the strikes took place.
Jingan has marketed its flagship product, the Jingqi Global Situational Awareness System, as a Chinese counterpart to operating systems such as Palantir Technologies’ Gotham and Anduril Industries’ Lattice.
While industry observers and military enthusiasts have cautioned against Jingan’s high-profile marketing claims, company materials and public disclosures suggest that its software has already been deployed within China’s public security system and state security apparatus, as well as some branches of the military.
Jingan is among a growing number of Chinese private tech firms entering the country’s rapidly expanding defence AI sector, driven by Beijing’s military-civil fusion strategy to integrate private companies into the defence industry.
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